Pea-Sized Growth Anomaly on my Phalaeonopsis

[Aedrich]

Hello everyone,
I would like to ask what is this pea-sized growth on my phalaeonopsis. I have tried researching online but I cant find any resources about it.
Thank you

[Ray]

It is very difficult to be certain, but the plant may be starting a new growth front, that is a "basal keiki".

[camille1585]

It also looks like it could be the beginning of a spike, which then got stuck. In any case, the best course of action is to wait and see what happens! If it turns out to be a spike leave it alone, trying to free it usuallu ends in the tip breaking off, and trapped spikes often find their way out after a while.

[Aedrich]

Thank you for the replies. I have searched online about this and found absolutely nothing. My only guess is that it is a keiki based on what I have read so far but what bewilders me is that it is not from the base rather it is actually almost at the top exactly two leaves down from the new leaf growth.

Are there instances that keikis can sprout from that location?

Somewhere on the internet I have read that a flower spike grows atleast 3 leaves down starting from the new growth, unless it is a terminal spike. Which means that this growth is very strange to be a flower spike since its location is two leaves down the new leaf.

I sincerely dont know. I guess we all need to wait before we can see some results.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Aedrich

Thank you for the replies. I have searched online about this and found absolutely nothing. My only guess is that it is a keiki based on what I have read so far but what bewilders me is that it is not from the base rather it is actually almost at the top exactly two leaves down from the new leaf growth.

Are there instances that keikis can sprout from that location?

Somewhere on the internet I have read that a flower spike grows atleast 3 leaves down starting from the new growth, unless it is a terminal spike. Which means that this growth is very strange to be a flower spike since its location is two leaves down the new leaf.

I sincerely dont know. I guess we all need to wait before we can see some results.

Plants don't read what is written on internet! While there are general rules of thumb, lots of other things can happen with keikis and spikes. I've seen spikes from unexpected leaves, I've had a spike come from the same leaf 2 years in a row, and other unusual things. For spikes, they usually (but not always) appear one leaf higher (so opposite side) than the previous spike.

[Aedrich]

Let's hope for the best then 😊 I will update this thread from time to time. I am very curious as well with what my phalaeonopsis has

[Ray]

The "growth front" of a plant is the apical meristem. Sometimes, a plant will simply decide to form a separate apex. We see that most often when the center of the "crown" (growth front in a phal) is damaged, but externally-applied hormones can affect that, as can the genetic background of the plant.

[Mountaineer370]

I have seen little growths like that on my Phals a couple of times that just never developed into anything, so I end up with no idea what the plant might have been trying to do with that bump. In fact, there's one I'm watching right now that is on the opposite side from a current healthy new spike, so I had high hopes that it was a second spike, but so far, it's doing nothing at all. They keep us guessing.

[Aedrich]

Originally Posted by Ray

The "growth front" of a plant is the apical meristem. Sometimes, a plant will simply decide to form a separate apex. We see that most often when the center of the "crown" (growth front in a phal) is damaged, but externally-applied hormones can affect that, as can the genetic background of the plant.

So it could be another "crown"

---------- Post added at 04:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:15 PM ----------

So far the plant is fine and the "anomalous" growth is still growing. Now it looks like it is made up of several layers. The plant is actually healthy and has very robust roots and big leaves

[Aedrich]

Picture #1 The Plant
Picture #2 The Anomalous Growth
Picture #3 The Growth in close up and a Flower Spike?